He Was Merciful To The Poor, And Carefully Provided For Such
As Were Oppressed By Poverty Or Sickness, And Every Year Took Charge Of
20,000 Infants Who Were Deserted By Their Mothers From Poverty, All Of Whom
He Bred Up Till They Were Able To Work At Some Trade.
But in process of
time, betaking himself more to pleasures than was fit, he employed his
whole time in delights, in the midst of 1000 concubines.
His capital was
encompassed with ditches full of water; but Fanfur was entirely addicted to
the arts of peace, and so beloved of his subjects for his justice and
charity, that, trusting to their numbers and attachment, and to the natural
strength and resources of the country, both king and people neglected the
use of arms, keeping no cavalry in pay, because they feared no one, and
believed themselves invincible.
Cublai-khan was of a different disposition from Fanfur, and delighted in
war and conquest; and having resolved upon making a conquest of the kingdom
of Mangi, he levied a great army of horse and foot for that purpose, over
which he placed a general named Chinsan-Baian[2]. He accordingly marched
with his army, accompanied by a fleet, into the province of Mangi, and
summoned the city of Coiganzu[3] to surrender to the authority of the great
khan. On this being refused, he departed without making any assault, to the
second, the third, and the fourth city, all of which he summoned, and on
their refusal, marched on without siege or assault. But receiving the same
answer from the fifth, he assaulted it with great courage, and having taken
it by storm, he massacred the whole inhabitants, without sparing any of
either sex, or of any age or condition. This severe military execution so
terrified the other cities, that they all immediately surrendered. On this
successful commencement being reported to the khan, he sent a new army to
reinforce Chinsan-Baian, whose army was now much diminished by the
garrisons he had to leave in the conquered cities. With his army thus
reinforced, Chinsan marched against Quinsai[4] the capital city of the
kingdom of Mangi, in which Fanfur resided. He was much terrified at this
formidable invasion, and having never seen any war, he fled with all his
wealth on board a great fleet which he had prepared, retiring to certain
impregnable islands in the ocean[5], committing the custody of his capital
to his wife, whom he desired to defend it as well as she could, as being a
woman, she need not fear being put to death if she were made prisoner. It
may be observed, that Fanfur had been told by his diviners, that his
kingdom would never be taken from him except by one who had an hundred
eyes; and this being known to the queen, she was in hopes or preserving the
city in all extremities, thinking it impossible for any one man to have an
hundred eyes.
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